Rick, I see your frustration, and I know your intentions are in the right place for what you truly believe is the best way to even the class. Like I said several times, there are strong supporters of SMOD, many in voting positions, that's who needs to be swayed. It does, however, completely escape me as to why you wouldn't have taken the opportunity to "be the better man" and go to Havasu anyway. Win it under "their rules" or whatever. My opinion on this is that going to HavaMega and "working the room" probably would have been far more valuable than trying to explain the position here.

Jeremy, I'm all for stopping the negativity too. I posted here not because I sail a Wave, but because our class association, of which I am an officer, gets bashed here by people who don't know how hard we work to please everyone. Not to mention, they never tire of putting words in our mouths or twisting up what they think our intentions are. It gets old. Very old.

And just so everyone knows where I stand on the Wave sails (not that I have a voting position, or a Wave in my yard): Hobie 21s had a box sail rule (for ProSail), so it's not unprecedented under HCA, and I don't see that it would hurt the attendance of Waves at HCA regattas (since there's really no where to go but up at the moment). There are other issues (sail measurement, etc.), but other sailboat classes handle this, and I'm sure we could too.

Mike

So, as I understand some folks in this thread, If I have a Prindle 16, then I can sail the Hobie 16 Nationals, a NACRA 5.2, then I can sail the Hobie 17 Nationals, NACRA 20, then I can sail the Hobie 20 Nationals, Etc. I'm confused, all of the racing classes I know of have certain rules, NASCAR won't let you bring your F-1 car to run in their events, SCCA Formula Ford won't let you run a Formula Atlantic in their races either. Rules are rules, if you want your own "Different class" cool, but don't expect everyone else to agree to buy all new equipment just because you want to. And BTW, I own a Hobie 14 Turbo that can't race in the class, I have an illegal jib, 6 to 1 Harken low profile blocks and homemade "Anti-Dive planes", all three make me Not Class Legal!!!

I understand and that's legit. My comment was more for the people NOT involved in the Wave any way...other than wanting to cause trouble. I'm not down with that.

j

Sorry, J. Saw that you had replied to my post, thought that first comment was meant for me.

Mike

But you didn't get a heap of people interested in a rental boat, and turn it into something of a cult following similar to that of the VW beetle.

Hmmm, good point, there is (was) a Formula V class!!!

To clarify some misconceptions on the Wave that are floating about in this thread...

The boat was not designed as a rental. Its concept is an entry level cat. It works really well as a rental though. That is why some here are confused about it.

Its primary market is not rental. We sell most to private parties, but we "own" the rental market!

Except for a VERY short offering of a Mylar option in the mid 90's, the factory stock sail has always been Dacron and the same pattern. Some slight production variances are being used as an excuse to claim we keep changing the shape. We have been cutting sails with a digital plotter cutter since the mid 90's, so the sails are very consistent.

The stock replacement sail is not more expensive than most of the "custom" sails being pushed.

The stock sail has shown to be competitive in IWCA racing per Rick's own comments on the subject.

The bigger rental places do use stock sails and recognize the benefit of their durability and Hobie coloring. We do sell a white rental sail, so many of those out there are also factory sails.



Racing classes are not responsible for this boats huge success in the market.

As with all of our cats... owners with racing interests have never exceeded about 10% of our market.

The best thing about a Wave is it's simplicity.

We have never pushed this boat as a racing class due to the many restrictions caused by that route. We have always reserved the right to make the boat better and easier to use. Little has actually changed, but the biggest change ever made and best thing for the recreational user was the change to the EZ Loc rudder system.

Thanks for the revelations Matt.




However, this is exactly why the HCC should just get out of the way and let serious racers take what you offer and allow it to fit their needs and expectations. If you want to evolve the boat to suit the recreation and rental market that makes perfect sense.

We can handle the "rules" side and adopt or reject your production atributes as they effect us, as racers.

JW said "I see only winners".

Hi Matt -

Isn't this a Hobie-made sail?

This was fun...

John likes the Wave because its the only boat he can make minimum weight on. The guy can crew on a 1 meter remote.

John likes the Wave because he smells the future of whats coming for all of us that keep getting a little bit older, a little fatter and a little slower, every single day. We had the discussion the other day that its pretty damn strange to be at a regatta and be one of the young guys when you're 43.

Interesting. Hobie will be in a bind, long term, if they can't find a way to bring in young blood with money.

That fits my description of:



Yeah, that is one of the VERY few Mylar ones ever made by us for the Wave

No need for Hobie Cat step out of the way, we are not "in the way". We have never tried to control what the IWCA is doing with the Wave. The thing we wouldn't allow is modification of a factory supplied charter boat.

One the other hand, we do believe in the basic premise that made the Hobie Class Association what it was, and is. One Design, Class or Brand only style regattas worked very well and still have their place.

Personally, I'll be very, very old before I start racing a plastic boat (this is assuming Hobie only will remain the mainstay in our region, and the H16 class doesn't die off)


Recind the comp-tip rule, allow younger & newbie sailors to race B fleet on the old "starter" (cheap!) 16's. If you want to race A fleet, then you have to play by all the rules (i.e. comp-tip). There needs to be a two-crew entry level racing boat, in addition to the Wave.

Tough liability issue to remove a protection.

Idea though... the Class has a TON of available funds that could go to helping support conversions for entry level racers. There would be restrictions and membership requirememnts I'm sure.

Eaton, you don't even remember being 43.
You talk pretty tough, but I am pretty sure you'd have a good time on starting line with a shitpot of Waves.

Comptip masts are getting easier and easier to buy on the secondary and there just aren't that many boats out there (ebay, beachcats, here, craigslist...) that don't have them.

So why not have an IWCA races in addition to your hobie wave races at HCA regattas? they are Hobies after all yes?
I can't see why, if they have as big a following, and mostly thanks to Ricks work with them, then why aren't they sanctioned at Hobie events?

Allowing a wave to race IWCA rules ie aftermarket sails at a hobie event would be like bringint an Infusion to a Nacra event with Aftermarket sails.

Can I race an N-20 in class with custom sails?